Streets

3. Lost

Viridian
Most popping night club in the heart of the Grove

Sitting at the bar still waiting for her drink, sadness all over her face. If it wasn't for her homegirls paying for her drinks or the men who wanted to take her home she wouldn't have drinks. She could barely afford the dress she bought to even come out tonight. "Monica! Girl are you coming to dance? We been waiting." Her good friend Tyra came up to the bar leaning against it, Monica began forcing a smile, "Yea I'm just still waiting on my drink." Tyra sucked her teeth and turned quickly to the bartender, "Hey! Drink over here please you ain't got that many customers!" With the middle finger shot up the bartender quickly made the drink and handed it to Monica. After finishing her drink in practically one sip she went out to have fun with her girls. She barely gets time to hang out since she gave birth to her son, luckily she has a neighbor who gladly watches him when she can, seeing as how she can't rely on her own mother whose chosen to live the rest of her life a crackhead.
In VIP Benny sat with his gang, Marcus was flirting with some females and Benny had his eye on Tyra. The way she danced, the sway in her hips had him in a trance. He stood up and headed to the dance floor, approaching Tyra from behind and getting into the rhythm of her dancing. He softly grabbed her hips and she began to grind against him, assuming he was some random nigga at the club, she turned around as the song began to come to a stop. She smiled as she saw his face, "I saw you earlier, at Marcus's spot. You're new." He smirked and nodded, "Nothing gets passed you." She checks him out, looking him up and down. "Let me buy you a drink." He said to her and she nodded in agreement, walking to the bar he flagged down the bartender, "Let me get another henny on the rocks and for her, whatever she wants." She looks at him, trying hard to read him and he knew it, "Finding it hard to figure me out?" She smiled, his heart damn near stopped. "I guess. You don't seem like the gang type." He got a little closer just as the bartender set down the drinks. "I'm not. But it is what it is." Tyra couldn't help but notice the attraction between them. He was different, but despite how different he may be, could he provide the lifestyle that she wants. "You couldn't handle me baby I assure you." He gets closer, his tall frame towering over her. "Oh you would be surprised what I can handle. Let me worry about that." And with those words, he allowed her claws to sink in deep. Not realizing what he was getting himself into.
The night was over and at the time of 1am, Monica returned to the house she has known as home since she was a kid. Living pretty close to the tookie projects she herself had her own experiences with the gang boys in the area. One in particular got her pregnant but a month before she gave birth he got locked up for life. Murder charges. Not like she was in love with him, it was more a friendly sneaky link that ended up with her getting pregnant. She went next door and picked up her son who was still sound asleep. He was 10 months old and looked more and more like his father every day. Monica lived a life a struggle. Working a dead end job at the Kewly Cafe, which was so run down and depleted it was barely functioning anymore. She would be lucky to leave her shift with a 5 dollar tip. Walking in the house she wasn't surprised to hear her mom in her room entertaining yet another drug provider. Holding her son close she sat down in the living room getting ready to change his diaper that he messed up while sleeping. The door to her mother's room opened and out a nasty man in his mid 40s exits. Button shirt unopened to reveal his sweaty chest and gut and his pants were barely buckled. He saw Monica and licked his lips, "Oooh Mona, I'll give you all the crack you want if you let me have a taste of that." Monica rolled her eyes with disgust and her mother walked out the room sweaty and skinny. It had been almost 3 years since her mother looked anything remotely close to how she used to look. Almost unrecognizable, and Monica worked hard to have money to make sure they even still lived in this house. She knew she would need more to get her mother into the large rehab center in the city. "I gave you what you wanted Lee now give me my shit." He grunted and let out a chuckle before handing Mona her small reward. Looked like pop rocks in a little clear package. "Call me when you need another fill, you can call me too, beautiful." Monica quickly finished changing her son and held him close as he stirred in his sleep. "Bye Lee." Mona said as he left the house. Mona looked at Monica and smiled, her teeth damn near rotten and dirty, "How grandma baby." She walked over and reached for him but Monica stood up quicker, "Don't touch him." Mona fell down on the couch and smiled, reaching on the table to get ready to smoke her reward. Monica laid down her baby boy in his crib, tucking him in before heading back out to the living room. She watched as her mom smoked the same drug that ruined much of her childhood, "Mom, when will it be enough?" Her mom who laid back on the couch smiled at her daughter, the warm fuzzy feeling taking over, "My baby so beautiful. You remind me of myself. I used to be a star, oooh I had big...big dreams." Tears formed in Monica's eyes, the horrible memories of her having to clean her mother up. Time and time again the roles reversed at who was the parent. Now with a child of her own it's getting harder and harder for her to take care of both her son and her mom let alone herself. Wiping away an escaped tear she looked at her mother who fell asleep, she grabs a blanket and covers her mother. She prayed every night for a change and yet here she is, 22 years old and nothing has changed.